Q. The ruins of the Vijayanagara at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by
(a) Colonel Colin Mackenzie
(b) Sir John Shore
(c) Andrew Fraser
(d) John Marshall
Ans: (a) Colonel Colin Mackenzie
Explanation: The correct answer is (a) Colonel Colin Mackenzie.
The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by Colonel Colin Mackenzie, a British army officer and surveyor. Colin Mackenzie was appointed as the first Surveyor General of India by the British East India Company. During his tenure, he conducted extensive surveys and explorations of various regions in India, including the site of Hampi. He documented the ruins of Hampi, making detailed drawings and collecting valuable historical and archaeological information about the site.
Sir John Shore (Lord Teignmouth) was the Governor-General of India from 1793 to 1798 and is not directly associated with the discovery of the ruins at Hampi.
Andrew Fraser was a British colonial administrator in India during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is not connected to the uncovering of the Vijayanagara ruins.
John Marshall, another prominent British archaeologist and Indologist, is well-known for his work in the field of Indian archaeology, but he was not directly responsible for bringing the ruins of Vijayanagara to light at Hampi in 1800.
Therefore, the correct answer is (a) Colonel Colin Mackenzie.